South Korea

republicIndependence 15 August 1948

South Korea as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 124 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalSeoul
LocationEastern Asia, between North Korea and Japan
1994

Every edition of South Korea

Populationas each edition published it
45.08 million July 1994 est. · 43.05m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.04% 1994 est. · 1.05% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 33.2 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 70.29 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.65 children per woman 1994 est. · 1.6 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
21.7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 23 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$9,500 1993 est. · $6,500 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
6.3% 1993 · 5% in 1993

Geography

Eastern Asia, between North Korea and Japan

22 fields
Coastline
2,413km
Land boundaries
238km
total · North Korea 238 km
Irrigated land
13,530sq km
(1989)

Location

Eastern Asia, between North Korea and Japan

Map references

Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

98,480 sq km

land area

98,190 sq km

comparative area

slightly larger than Indiana

continental shelf

not specified

territorial sea

12 nm; 3 nm in the Korea Strait

International disputes

Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks claimed by Japan

Climate

temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter

Terrain

mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south

Natural resources

coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower

arable land

21%

permanent crops

1%

meadows and pastures

1%

forest and woodland

67%

other

10%

current issues

air pollution in large cities; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents

natural hazards

occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; earthquakes in southwest

international agreements

  • party to - Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Whaling;
  • signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

People

21 fields
Population
45,082,880
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 1.04% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
15.7Death
6.17Net migration
0.91
Labor force
20million
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

21.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

70.59 years

male

67.39 years

female

73.98 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.65 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Korean(s)

adjective

Korean

Ethnic divisions

homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

Religions

Christianity 48.6%, Buddhism 47.4%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way) 0.2%

Languages

Korean, English widely taught in high school

total population

96%

male

99%

female

99%

by occupation

services and other 52%, mining and manufacturing 27%, agriculture, fishing, forestry 21% (1991)

Government

Republic

37 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

38.5%
DLP 38.5%DP 29.2%Unification National Party (UNP) (name later changed to UPP) 17.3%other 15%

Legislature, 299 seatsseats by party

DLP 149DP 97UNP 31other 22the distribution of seats as of January 1994 was DLP 172DP 96UPP 11other 20

conventional long form

Republic of Korea

conventional short form

South Korea

local long form

Taehan-min'guk

local short form

none

Type

republic

Capital

Seoul

Administrative divisions

  • 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 6 special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural);
  • Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-jikhalsi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-jikhalsi*, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-jikhalsi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-jikhalsi*, Taejon-jikhalsi*

Independence

15 August 1948

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 August (1948)

Constitution

25 February 1988

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

chief of state

  • President KIM Yong-sam (since 25 February 1993);
  • election last held on 18 December 1992 (next to be held NA December 1997);
  • results - KIM Yong-sam (DLP) 41.9%, KIM Tae-chung (DP) 33.8%, CHONG Chu-yong (UPP) 16.3%, other 8%

head of government

  • Prime Minister YI Yong-tok (since 29 April 1994);
  • Deputy Prime Minister CHONG Chae-sok (since 21 December 1993) and Deputy Prime Minister YI Hong-ku (since 30 April 1994)

cabinet

State Council; appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation

National Assembly (Kukhoe)

  • elections last held on 24 March 1992;
  • results - DLP 38.5%, DP 29.2%, Unification National Party (UNP) 17.3% (name later changed to UPP), other 15%;
  • seats - (299 total) DLP 149, DP 97, UNP 31, other 22;
  • the distribution of seats as of January 1994 was DLP 172, DP 96, UPP 11, other 20

note

the change in the distribution of seats reflects the fluidity of the current situation where party members are constantly switching from one party to another

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

majority party

Democratic Liberal Party (DLP), KIM Yong-sam, president

opposition

  • Democratic Party (DP), YI Ki-taek, executive chairman;
  • United People's Party (UPP), KIM Tong-kil, chairman;
  • several smaller parties

note

the DLP resulted from a merger of the Democratic Justice Party (DJP), Reunification Democratic Party (RDP), and New Democratic Republican Party (NDRP) on 9 February 1990

Other political or pressure groups

  • Korean National Council of Churches;
  • National Democratic Alliance of Korea;
  • National Federation of Student Associations;
  • National Federation of Farmers' Associations;
  • National Council of Labor Unions;
  • Federation of Korean Trade Unions;
  • Korean Veterans' Association;
  • Federation of Korean Industries;
  • Korean Traders Association

Member of

AfDB, APEC, AsDB, CCC, COCOM (cooperating), CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OAS (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador HAN Sung-su

chancery

2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

(202) 939-5600

consulate(s) general

Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle

chief of mission

Ambassador James T. LANEY

embassy

82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul

mailing address

American Embassy, Unit 15550, Seoul; APO AP 96205-0001

telephone

[82] (2) 397-4000 through 4008 and 397-4114

FAX

[82] (2) 738-8845

consulate(s)

Pusan

Flag

  • white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center;
  • there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field

Economy

The driving force behind the economy's dynamic growth has been the | planned development of an export-oriented economy in a vigorously | entrepreneurial society.

25 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$9,500
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
6.3%
(1993)industrial production growth: growth rate 5% (1992 est.); accounts for about 45% of GNP
Unemployment rate
2.6%
(October 1993)

Overview

The driving force behind the economy's dynamic growth has been the planned development of an export-oriented economy in a vigorously entrepreneurial society. Real GNP increased more than 10% annually between 1986 and 1991. This growth ultimately led to an overheated situation characterized by a tight labor market, strong inflationary pressures, and a rapidly rising current account deficit.

As a result, in 1992, economic policy focused on slowing the growth rate of inflation and reducing the deficit. Annual growth slowed to 5%, still above the rate in most other countries of the world. Growth increased to 6.3% in 1993 as a result of fourth quarter manufacturing production growth of over 10% and is expected to be in the 8% range for 1994.

National product

GNP - purchasing power equivalent - $424 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$48.4 billion

expenditures

$48.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)

Exports

$81 billion (f.o.b., 1993)

commodities

electronic and electrical equipment, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships, textiles, clothing, footwear, fish

partners

US 26%, Japan 17%, EC 14%

Imports

$78.9 billion (c.i.f., 1993)

commodities

machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains

partners

Japan 26%, US 24%, EC 15%

External debt

$42 billion (1992)

capacity

27,016 kW (1993)

production

105 billion kWh (1992)

consumption per capita

2,380 kWh (1992)

Industries

electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing

Agriculture

  • accounts for 8% of GNP and employs 21% of work force (including fishing and forestry);
  • principal crops - rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit;
  • livestock and livestock products - cattle, hogs, chickens, milk, eggs;
  • self-sufficient in food, except for wheat;
  • fish catch of 2.9 million metric tons, seventh-largest in world

recipient

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.9 billion; non-US countries (1970-89), $3 billion

Currency

1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chun (theoretical)

Exchange rates

South Korean won (W) per US$1 - 810.48 (January 1994), 802.68 (1993), 780.65 (1992), 733.35 (1991), 707.76 (1990), 671.46 (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

16 fields

Networkskm

Railroads
3,091Inland waterways
1,609
Railroads: (1991); 3,044 km 1.435 meter standard gauge, 47 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, 847 km double track; 525 km electrified, government owned · Inland waterways: ; use restricted to small native craft

Railroads

  • 3,091 km total (1991);
  • 3,044 km 1.435 meter standard gauge, 47 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, 847 km double track;
  • 525 km electrified, government owned

total

63,201 km

paved

expressways 1,551 km

unpaved

NA

undifferentiated

national highway 12,190 km; provincial, local roads 49,460 km (1991)

Inland waterways

1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft

Pipelines

petroleum products 455 km

Ports

Pusan, Inch'on, Kunsan, Mokp'o, Ulsan

Merchant marine

417 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,425,920 GRT/10,535,850 DWT, bulk 123, cargo 132, chemical tanker 16, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 2, container 60, liquefied gas 13, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 47, refrigerated cargo 11, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 9

total

104

usable

95

with permanent-surface runways

61

with runways over 3,659 m

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

23

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

18

Telecommunications

  • excellent domestic and international services;
  • 13,276,449 telephone subscribers;
  • broadcast stations - 79 AM, 46 FM, 256 TV (57 of 1 kW or greater);
  • satellite earth stations - 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force

3 fields

Branches

Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 13,435,598;
  • fit for military service 8,623,325;
  • reach military age (18) annually 417,055 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $13.0 billion, 3.6% of GNP (1994 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Korea, South.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/south-korea/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →